‘Sikh Genocide Memorial’ to come up in Hondh Chhillar

Date: 08 Mar 2011

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‘Sikh Genocide Memorial’ to come up in Hondh Chhillar
Akal Takht Jathedar lays foundation stone
Perneet Singh\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Tribune News Service
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Amritsar, March 6\\\
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh today laid the foundation stone of a “Sikh Genocide Memorial” at the site of the Hondh Chhillar massacre in Rewari district, Haryana. This will be the first-of-its-kind memorial to those who were killed in the 1984 riots. \\\\\\\\\\\
Talking to The Tribune, the Jathedar said: “At present, the houses of Sikh families and the village gurdwara, lying in a shambles, will be preserved while a decision on any new addition at the site will be taken later. The village sarpanch has also assured of full cooperation in preserving these buildings.” \\\\\\\\\\\\\
AISSF President Karnail Singh Peermohammed said, “The Sikh sangat donated Rs 25 lakh for the memorial today itself on the occasion of the ‘bhog ceremony of the akhand path performed in the memory of those killed in the carnage.” He also clarified that any new construction at the memorial site would take place only on directions of Akal Takht.\\\\\\\\\\
He said the AISSF and the Sikhs for Justice would also launch a “Sikh insaaf lehar” with the support of the SAD (Panch Pardhani) and Sant Baba Baljeet Singh Daduwal. The “lehar” is aimed at locating the sites throughout India where Sikhs were killed in November 1984.
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“Under the campaign, we will collect evidence, documents and preserve the genocide locations, for which we will send delegations and investigating teams to all the states where Sikhs were killed,” he said adding that a “Sikh Genocide Trust” would also be established to locate, preserve and manage “genocidal sites” across the country. \\\\\\\\\\
While advocate Navkiran Singh, a human rights lawyer, had been entrusted the responsibility of the chief legal counsel to follow the cases of 1984 in India, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal adviser to the Sikhs for Justice, would take on the onus for international lobbying, advocacy and campaigning. He said they would also immerse the “ashes” of those killed in Hondh Chhillar in Kiratpur Sahib on March 9.
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Reacting to the move, SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar said the memorial should be raised at the site only after holding consultations with the survivors of the tragedy and taking into confidence all Sikh organisations.
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Haryana govt’s move divides Sikhs
Perneet Singh\\\\\\
Tribune News Service
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Amritsar, March 6\\\\\\\\
The Haryana Government’s move to set up a Commission of Inquiry under a retired High Court Judge, TP Garg, to probe the Hondh Chhillar massacre seems to have divided the Sikh community. While the SGPC and the DSGMC are supporting it, the Jathedar of Akal Takht and radical Sikh outfits are not content with it.
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SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar said they were happy that the Haryana Government had accepted their demand for a judicial probe. However, he added that the commission should widen its purview to investigate whether there were more such places in the state where incidents of the killings of Sikhs in 1984 had either not been reported or brushed under the carpet. DSGMC President Paramjeet Singh Sarna also hailed the move and said the commission should also probe as to why the incident didn’t come to light earlier. He claimed that there were many places even in Delhi where such incidents had not come to the fore. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said, “The one-member commission is not at all acceptable to us as it should have two Sikh Judges who may be sitting or retired.”
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AISSF chief Karnail Singh Peermohammed said they had no hope of justice from the commission. “We demand a three-member probe panel comprising sitting Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which we have also highlighted in a PIL before the High Court. It will come up for hearing on April 8,” he said. Described the move as a mere eyewash, Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh urged the SGPC to set up a five-member panel to find out all such places throughout India where Sikhs were killed in 1984.
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